Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:16 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:55 am 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:51 pm
Posts: 4663
Location: Cheshire, CT
The 325th Checkertail posts got me thinking recently about Harry Tope and his P-51 "Death Rattler".
I know it was transformed into "Little Horse", but was it a data plate rebuild or was there enough left to include
substantial parts of the original aircraft?
Also, did "Little Horse" recently change hands?
Thanks.
Jerry

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 11586.html

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:26 pm 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 10:10 pm
Posts: 4319
Location: Maypearl, Texas
I think its part of the growing group in Galveston...


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:30 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:49 pm
Posts: 2094
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Quote:
The 325th Checkertail posts got me thinking recently about Harry Tope and his P-51 "Death Rattler".
I know it was transformed into "Little Horse", but was it a data plate rebuild or was there enough left to include
substantial parts of the original aircraft?
Also, did "Little Horse" recently change hands?
Thanks.
Jerry

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 11586.html


I've seen video of the crash and it's hard to imagine anything more than the data plate surviving. If anyone has any further information I'd be interested to see it.

_________________
Matt


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:53 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:36 am
Posts: 1202
I remember the Death Rattler up at Kalamazoo back in the olden days. I always figured it was doomed.... You have the name, a grim reaper and #13 painted on it, you are asking for trouble....

Mark H

_________________
Fly safe or you get to meet me .......


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:39 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:35 pm
Posts: 80
I remember it when Wally Oaks owned it. Wally said the Playboy club in Lake Geneva was only a loop and a barrel roll away. Few times I had to drive Wally back the next day to pick-up the plane.

Steve


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:08 pm 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:10 pm
Posts: 4173
Location: Pearland, Texas
The airplane lives at Ellington Field now. Not Galveston.

_________________
"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:48 pm 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 10:10 pm
Posts: 4319
Location: Maypearl, Texas
RickH wrote:
The airplane lives at Ellington Field now. Not Galveston.



Voops


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:12 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!

Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 3:07 am
Posts: 1007
Location: Whittier CA USA, 25 miles east of Los Angeles
P51Mstg wrote:
I remember the Death Rattler up at Kalamazoo back in the olden days. I always figured it was doomed.... You have the name, a grim reaper and #13 painted on it, you are asking for trouble....

Mark H



I normally do not think these kind of things. But I had the same thought when I saw at Minter field in april, 93 Bill Speers and his data plate rebuild of Passion Wagon, which he named Deja Vu. N51U. It was only a year and half later after it first flew that at Reno it was lost- and a couple of weeks shy of the fourth anniversary of Passion Wagon's crash. Deja Vu, all over again.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:45 pm 
Offline
WRG Editor
WRG Editor
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 4:43 pm
Posts: 5602
Location: Haverhill, MA & Johnston, RI
Updated the entry for this aircraft.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 11586.html

_________________
Scott Rose
Editor-In-Chief/Webmaster
Warbirds Resource Group - Warbird Information Exchange - Warbird Registry

Be civil, be polite, be nice.... or be elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------
This site is brought to you with the support of members like you. If you find this site to be of value to you,
consider supporting this forum and the Warbirds Resource Group with a VOLUNTARY subscription
For as little as $2/month you can help ($2 x 12 = $24/year, less than most magazine subscriptions)
So If you like it here, and want to see it grow, consider helping out.


Image

Thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the site. We really do appreciate it.

Follow us on Twitter! @WIXHQ


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 7:38 pm 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm
Posts: 2904
Somewhere I have a picture of Death Rattler on a trailer when it arrived at Tri-State. It was smashed so flat it looked like it had been in a car crusher. I'm certain they reused every part and fitting they could in Little Horse.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 6:29 pm 
Online
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club

Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:26 pm
Posts: 2001
Location: Creemore Ontario Canada
I had a really good chat with Harry Tope two weeks before at the Hamilton airshow.
He happily entertained this enthusiast. We spoke airplanes for quite a while. R.I.P. Sir.

Tragic.

Andy


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 6:09 pm 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm
Posts: 2904
Warbirdnerd wrote:
Somewhere I have a picture of Death Rattler on a trailer when it arrived at Tri-State. It was smashed so flat it looked like it had been in a car crusher. I'm certain they reused every part and fitting they could in Little Horse.

Found them-
ImageScan0009 by Bryan Darnell, on Flickr

ImageScan0008 by Bryan Darnell, on Flickr


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:21 am 
Offline
Newly minted Mustang Pilot
User avatar

Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:41 pm
Posts: 1410
Location: Everywhere
Shot this at the Cleveland Airshow...

Image

_________________
www.spiritof44.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 9:37 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm
Posts: 2904
This is from the CAF show at Holman Field, St Paul, MN 1989-
ImageScan0009 by Bryan Darnell, on Flickr


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:28 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:52 am
Posts: 1524
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Scott, just as an FYI, I found the following info on 45-11586 on Aviation Archaeology; might be some good info to add to the Registry entry.

Date: 480926
Type: F-51D
Serial: 45-11586
Sqn: 157FS
Group: 116FG
Home base: Congaree AFB, SC
Accident type: Landing accident
Cat. damage: 3
Pilot: Murphy, John G USA
Accident location: Congaree AFB, SC

Page reference: http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/ ... fset=23025

Cheers,

Lynn


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Larry Kraus and 82 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group